Dissociation : Vol. 4, No. 4, p. 193-199: A comparison of dissociative experiences in adult female outpatients with and without histories of early incestuous abuse

Dissociation : Vol. 4, No. 4, p. 193-199: A comparison of dissociative experiences in adult female outpatients with and without histories of early incestuous abuse

Author:

Strick, Frances L.; Wilcoxon, S. Allen

Abstract:

The critical role of early incestuous abuse in the development of high levels ofdissociative symptoms has been suggested. The present study examines the reliability and validity of the Dissociative Experiences Scale for use with an outpatient population and compares the frequency
of dissociative experiences in adult female outpatients with and without histories of early incestuous abuse. The Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) and a Background Information Questionnaire (BIQ) were administered to a sample of 84 adult female outpatients from four diagnostic categories: Affective Disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Panic Disorder, and Schizophrenia. Cronbach's alpha within each diagnostic category (range .88 - .94) indicated good internal consistency for the DES with this sample. The Kruskal Wallis analysis, x2 = 8.49 (N = 84, df= 3, p < .05), demonstrated support for criterion-related validity of the DES by
indicating a significant difference among diagnostic categories. Ryan's procedure demonstrated a distinction between Affective Disorder and PTSD and between Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia (p < .01). Forty-four % (N = 37) of the subjects reported incestuous abuse before 16 years of age. Seventy-one % (N = 60) reported sexual or physical abuse, rape, or assault, at some time during their lives. Subjects with histories of early incestuous abuse scored significantly
higher, X2 = 10.79 (N = 84, df=1, p < .001), on the DES than those who reported no history of early incestuous abuse. When matched on diagnostic category and age, DES scores remained significantly higher, x2 = 5.00 (N = 20, df = 1, p < .01), in the subjects with histories of early incestuous abuse than in those without such histories. The results of the present study support the need for exploration of dissociative symptoms in incest survivors.